Ink bottle



. WWII" v I -4 y 32 3, 23 Y. 2

INK o'mm.v

Filed Dea.l 5, 1959 f 2 Smets-sneer 1 Je s6 3a illumlllll'l INVENTOR.l

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 8, 1940. f A F. BE-RTINO 2,216,900.

` u INK BOTTLE 1 Filed DSO. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 8, `194() UNITED STATES maar@ PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to ink bottles in which is a small well which can be iilled with ink by inverting the bottle.` The proposals that have already been made to pro-vide small wells in ink bottles have variousobjections` to or limitations on their use, among the chief of which are: They are not adaptable to a standard ink bottle but require a specially formed bottle, and/or they are not removablefrom the bottle as a unit, and/or they require a special position of the bottle when it istilte'd` for filling which involves time or difficulty for the user to locate, and/or the ink does not fill ordinarily to the top of the well, and/or the material of which they are made is aifected physically or chemicallyby the ink, and/or they are easily deformed or broken, and/or they permit ink to smear the bottom of the barrel of a fountain penlwhile it is being iilled, and/or they e do not permit the straight dipping of pens of dif- 20 ferent `size andshape. The foregoing defects, among others, found in such devices led me to engineering research in this eld and the present invention `has for its objects, among others, lto provide a device of this type in which the cap of the ink bottle forms: part of the improved device, to position the well in the neck of the ink bottle with the top of the well at or above the top of the bottle, to provide an upper auxiliary capV for the Well which may be of a color that indicates the color ofthe ink in the bottle and maybe `contrasted in color with that of the remainder of the can, to provide locking means to prevent the cap from unscrewing from the bottle, to provide a structure that permits the well to be quickly filled when the bottle is turned upside down and in any direction, to provide a structure that permits the last drop of ink in the bottle to flow into the well,\to provide a restfor the bottom endI of i a fountain pen barrel which prevents smearing of ink on the barrel particularly at or near the usual linger grip, to provide a well that permits the ready dipping and filling of a fountain pen having a pen point of any size, to provide apertures at the top of the well, to provide an aperture at the bottom of the well, to provide a valve at the bottom of the Well including a steel ball that quickly runs away from the bottom aperture when the bottle is tilted and runs around o the well to set up air currentsin the well that facilitate the escape of air and the rapid flow of ink into the well, to provide such a device that adds little or no top-heaviness to the ink bottle, to provide a device of plastic moldable material, and to provide a device susceptible of W manufacturing cost. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is made to the drawings, which form a part of the specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention 5 applied to a standard ink bottle.

Figure 2` is a vertical central section with the ink bottle broken away below the neck and showing the improvement formed of three pieces of moldable material 10 Figure 3 is a perspectivepartly sectioned and showing a modified form of well.

Figure l is a view similar to Figure 2 but of a modication formed of two pieces of moldable material. v

Figure 5 isa top view of Figure 2 or 3 with the auxiliary capremoved.

Figure 6 is a detail from Figure 4 enlarged.

Figure '7 is a top View of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side View in which the auxiliary 20 cap has vertical ribs to facilitate turning and the cap proper is locked against turning.

Figure 9 is a plan View of Figure 8 with the auxiliary cap removed.

Figure 10 is a vertical central section on Fig- 25 ure 8.

Figure 1l is a cross-section on the line l l-Il of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a side view showing another form of cap. e

Figure 13 is a top view of Figure 12 with the auxiliary cap removed.`

Figure 14 is a vertical of Figure 13.

section on the une lla-I4 Figure 15 is a vertical central section of an- 35 other modiiication.

Figure 16 is a vertical central section of still another modication.

Figure 1'7 is a plan View of the well shown in Figure16. e e

A standard ink bottle 20 has a cylindrical upwardly extending neck 2| provided with standard screwthreads 22 on the outer wall. A cap 23 has an outer cylindrical depending flange 24 which is internally threaded to engage the screwthreads 45 22. The cap 23 has an annular upward cylindrical flange 25"which has external screwthreads 26 and on the inner wall a plurality of Widely spaced apart inward projections 2l. A cupshaped Well 28 has a maximum diameter such as to provide 50 a substantial annular space 29 between it and the inner wall of the flange 25, between the projections 2l, suliicient to permit the ready flow of liquid or air therethru. The body of the well 28 is also similarly spaced from the inner wall 55 of the neck 2l of the bottle. On the outer wall of the top of the well 23 are `a plurality of outward projections 3l, spaced similarly to the inward projections 2l and adapted to rest thereon and to support the well 28. In the modication shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7 the projections 21 and 3l are molded together integrally. In the form shown in Figure 2 the tops of the projections 27 and the bottoms of the projections 3l may have la radially interlocking t against relative ro-tation. The top of the well 28 and each projection 3l may have a vertical recess 32 for receiving a pen point 33 projecting from a fountain pen barrel 34. In the form shown in Figure 2 upward projections 35 hold the top of the well spaced enough from the auxiliary cap 36 for the free flow of ink or air. The auxiliary cap t6 has an internally threaded peripheral cylindrical ange 3'.' for screwingT on the threads 2t of the flange 25 and is extern-ally ribbed or knurled for facile manual rotation. A crescent-shaped rib 38 concentric with the recess 32 may be provided as a rest for the bottom of a fountain pen barrel 34 to keep it above the top of the well 28 when lling the fountain pen 34. In the form shown in Figure fi spacing projections 35 are not needed. In the form shown in Figure 3 in lieu of the projections 3l is `an annular projection 39 having perforations 4l, the total area of which is considerably more than that of the solid wall of the projection 39 to permit the free ilow of liquid or air therethru. Small nibs or spacers 42 may keep the top of the well 28, when inverted, below the auxiliary cap 36 to permit the free iiow of liquid or air thru the holes 4 I.

The bottom of the well 28 has a downward extension to provide an inside bottom recess 43.

which has an opening 44 at the bottom thru the well 28. A spherical ball 45 normally sits in the recess 43 and closes the opening 44. The recess 43 is so formed that its side walls prevent lateral displacement of the ball 45 from the opening 44, especially when pushed by a pen point. The walls of the recess 43 may flare outwardly and upwardly so that the ball 45 is free to roll into the well 28 when it is tilted. The acceleration of gravity causes the ball 45 to roll swiftly about the inside of the well and to set up swirls in the confined air which accelerate the flow of ink from the bottle 2B into the well 28 while the yauxiliary cap 36 is secure over the well and to instantly close the aperture 44 when the bottle is set down erect with the Well 28 full of ink.

Referring to Figures 8, 9, 10, and l1, a well 46 may be molded integrally at the top by means of four equally spaced relatively narrow bridges G1 With the top annular flange 25 of the cap 23, said bridges 41 spacing the bottom of the cap 36 from the top of the well 46 to permit the free flow of ink or air thru the arcuate spaces 48 which are lcontinuations of the annular space between the well 46 and the neck 2l of the ink b ottle. On the inner wall of one or more of the bridges 41 and of the well 46 may be formed a trough-like penpoint holder 49 the top of which rises above the top of the well 46 at 5l to keep the bottom of a fountain-pen barrel 34, while resting thereon, out of the ink in the well.

Referring to Figure ll a lock may be provided to prevent turning of the cap 24 on the neck 2l of the bottle when the cap 36 is being turned off, consisting of interengaging vertically separated lateral projections on the lowermost threads 22 of the bottle and of the cap flange 24, which latter possesses sufcient elasticity to permit the projections to be forced over each other in securing the cap thereon initially.

Referring to'Figures 12, 13, and 14, an auxiliary cap 52, has a greater diameter than the cap 53 which screws on the neck 2l of the bottle 26. The top of the cap 53 has an upward annular flange 54 coextensive with the neck 2l and externally threaded to receive the internal threads of the depending flange of the auxiliary cap 52. Projecting inwardly from the flange 54 is an annular extension 55 the upper surface of which is inclined downwardly and inwardly and has formed in the bottom an annular groove 515 which tightly nts over the top of the neck 2l of the bottle. A well 5'5 has an outward and upward flare 5S which supports a plurality of equally spaced outward arms 59 which have depending members which rest on the extension 55, `and the bottom of the auxiliary cap 52 engages the tops of these arms 56. The top of the well 5l' is so spaced from the wall 54 of the cap and the extension 55 as to permit the free flow of ink or air over the top.

of the well 5l which may have four pen-point guides or holders 49, one near each arm 59.

Referring to Figure 15, the cap has an annular internally threaded cylindrical ange 6l threading on the neck ZI, an outward and upward flare 52 at the top which supports an eX- ternally threaded annular cylindrical flange 63 at the top, the threads of which receive the threads of an annular flange 64 depending from an auxiliary cap 65. A well 66 has the aperture 4t at the bottom over which lies the spherical ball 45 in a recess formed in the bottom of the well 66. The top 6l of the well 66 flares outwardly over the neck 2| to widen the Well appreciably at the top, and to form a supplemental rest 68 for the bottom of a fountain pen 34 when the ink in the top 67 has been consumed. A plurality of radial arms 69 project outwardly, have downwardly turned ends 'H which rest on an annular ledge 12 formed on the inner wall of the flange 63, and so space the well 6l from the cap 65 and the flange 63 to permit the free flow of ink or air around the well 6l and over the top thereof.

Another' modification is shown in Figures 16 and 17 in which a cap has an annular internally threaded ange 13 screwed on the neck 2l, a flat annular portion 'I4 overlying the neck 2l,A a depending annular lip 15 inside the neck 2l, an externally threaded cylindrical flange 16 having an annular ledge 11 on the inner wall, and an auxiliary cap 'i8 having an internally threaded cylindrical flange 'I9 screwed on the iiange 16. A well 3l has at the top four equally spa-ced inverted-U-shaped arms 82 which rest on the ledge T! and space the sides and top of the well 8! from the flange 76 and the auxiliary cap 1S to permit the free ilow of ink or air. The side walls of the well 8l are parallel and taper inwardly at the bottom in which is a recess having the aperture at the bottom closed by the spherical ball 45. Figure 17 shows the formation of the side walls to provide four vertical pockets 83 opening into the center, each pocket in cross-section being greater than half a circle and permitting the vertical introduction of a fountain pen point 33, the arms 82 providing stops for the bottom of the fountainpen barrel 34.

Having disclosed several forms of my invention and realizing that, in View of my disclosure many changes in material, form, and structure, and the substitution and omission of parts 75l `but the area of said projections in plan being less than one-half the total area of the annular space surrounding the Well to permit the free flow of ink orY air', said` projections forming rests for the end of a barrel of a fountain pen, said well having an aperture at the bottom, a spherical balladapted to lie in said bottom over said aperture but to be freely movable away from said aperture and into the well when said bottle `is til-ted, andjaqcap for the `bottle having a cylindrical ange adapted to engage the screwthreads of the neck, 4the inside of the top of thecap being spaced away from the top of the well by `the outward projections to permit the ready flow of ink or air over 'the` top of the Well in any tiltedpositionof the bottle.

2. The combination with an ink bottle having a cylindrical screwthreaded neck of a well cup shaped in `forrrrmounted in part in the neck of the bottle, the outside diameter of the body of the well being less than that of the inside of the neck to provide enough space for the free iiow of ink lor air therebetween, said Well having outward projections at the top for mounting the well but the area of said projections in plan being less than one-half the total area of the annular' space surrounding the well, said projeotions forming rests for the end of the barrel of a fountain pen,isaid well having an aperture at the bottom, a recess in the bottom of the well n of sufficient depth to engage the equator of a spherical ball to prevent its dislocation from the aperture by downward or lateral pressure on the ball, a spherical ball adapted to lie in said recess but to be freely movable away from said aperture and up into the well when said' bottle is tilted, and a cap for the bottle having a cylindrical flange adapted to interengage with the screwthreads of the neck, the insideof the top of the cap being spaced away from the top of the well by upward projections from` the well to permit the ready flow of ink or air over the top of the` wellin any tilted position of the bottle.

3. The combination with an ink bottle having a cylindrical screwthreaded neck of a well cup shaped in form mounted in part in the neck of the bottle, the outside diameter of the ,body of the well being less than the inside diameter of the neck of the bottle, said well having outward projections at the top for mounting the well but the area in plan of said projections being less than one-half of the annular space surrounding the well, said projections forming rests' for the end of the barrel of a fountain pen, said well having an aperture at the bottom, a spherical ball adapted to lie over said aperture but to be freely movable away from said aperture and into said well when the bottle is tilted, a capl for the bottle having a cylindrical flange adapted to engage the screwthreads of the neck, the inside of the top of the cap being spaced away from the top of the well by the outward projections so to permit the free now of ink or air over the top of the well in any tilted position of the bottle, a cylindrical wall "formed centrally of the cap and surrounding an opening, inward projections from the inside of said wall adapted to support the outward projections from the well,`

and an auxiliary cap for said cylindrical wall positively spaced from the top of the well.

4. The combination with an ink bottle havinga cylindrical screwthreaded neck of a well cup` shaped in form mounted in part in the neck of i a bottle, the outside diameter ofthe body of the well being less than the inside diameter ofthe neck of the bottle, said well having outward pro-` jections at the top for mounting the well in the neck of the bottle but the area in plan of said projections being less than one-half the total area of the annular space surrounding the well, said projections forming rests for the end of the barrel of a fountain pen, a cap for the bottle having a cylindrical flange adapted to engage the screwthreads of the neck, means for locking said ange against unscrewing from the neck, the inside of the top of the cap being spaced away from the top of the well by upward projections to permit the ready flow of ink or air thereover in any tilted position of the bottle, a cylindrical wall formed 'centrally of the cap and surrounding an opening into the well, inward projections from the inside of said wall adapted to support the outward projections from the well, and an auxiliary removable cap overlying said opening.

5. The combination with an ink bottle having a cylindrical externally screwthreaded neck of `a well cupshaped inform mounted substantially in the neck of the bottle, the outside diameter of the body of the well being less than the inside diameter of the neck of the bottle to provide sufcient space for the free now of air or liquid therebetween, the top of the well extending above the neck of the bottle and having outward widely spaced apart projections, a cap for said bottle having a depending annular flange adapted to engage the screwthreads of the neck, and an upward annular flange on the cap, said upward ilange having screwthreads on the outer wall and the inner wall having space separating it from the top of the well for the free now of liquid or air therebetween, means on said inner wall for supporting the outward projections from the well, vand an auxiliary cap for covering said well having a depending cylindrical flange for engaging the outer screwthreads of the upward flange, the inside of the top of the auxiliary cap being positively spaced from the top of `the well to permit the free flow of liquid or air thereover.

6. The combination with an ink bottle having a cylindrical screwthreaded neck of a well cupshaped in form mounted substantially in the neck of the bottle, the outside diameter of the body of the well being less than the inside diameter of the neck of the bottle to provide sufficient space for the free flow of air or liquid therebetween, the top of the well extending outwardly .above the neck of the bottle to increase the diameter of the well at the top and having outward widely spaced apart projections, a cap for said bottle having a depending flange adapted to engage the screwthreads of the neck, and an upward annular flange wider than the neck of the bottle, said upward flange having screwthreads on the outer wall and the inner wall being spaced from the top of the well for the free flow of liquid or air therebetween, means on said inner wall for supporting the outward projections from the well, and an auxiliary cap for covering said well having a depending cylindrical flange for engaging the screwthreads of the upward flange, the inside of the top of the cap being positively spaced'frorn the top of the well to permit the free flow of liquid or air thereover.

'7. A small well for insertion in the necks of ink bottles cupshaped in form, having projections at the top for supporting and spacing the well from the wall of the neck and the top o1^ the cap of the bottle, a recess at the bottom of the well formed to contain and to prevent the lateral displacement of a spherical ball but permitting the movement of the ball into the well when tilted, an aperture in the bottom of said recess, and a spherical ball adapted to lie in said recess.

8. A small well for insertion in the necks of ink bottles cupshaped in form, having projections at the top for supporting and spacing the well from the wall of the neck and the top of the cap of the bottle, rests for the'bottom end of the barrel of a fountain pen extending above the top of said well, a recess at the bottom of the well formed to contain and to prevent the lateral displacement of a spherical ball but permitting the movement of the ball into the well when tilted,

an aperture in the bottom of said recess, and a spherical ball adapted to lie in said recess.

9. A small well for insertion in the neck of an ink bottle cupshaped in form, having projections at' the topl for supporting and spacing the well from the wall of the neck and the top of the cap ofthe bottle, rests for the bottom end of the barrel of av fountain pen extending above the top of the well, a vertical pocket formed in the side of the/well'for receivinga fountain-pen point, a recess at the bottom of the well formed to contain and to prevent the lateral displacement of a spherical ball but permitting the movement of theball into the well when tilted, an aperture in the bottom of said recess, `and a spherical ball adapted to lie in said recess.

10. In an ink bottle having an externally threaded neck, in combination, a cap having a peripheral internally threaded flange adapted to screw on said neck, an upward externally threaded cylindrical ange surrounding a centr-al open ing in the cap, an auxiliary cap covering said opening and having an internally threaded ange engaging said upward flange screwthreads, inward projections on the wall of said upward flange, and a well having outward projections supporting the well centrally of the bottle, the top edge of the well being so spaced from the upward flange and the auxiliary cap as to permit the free flow of air or ink thereover.

l1. A cap for ink bottles having a depending annular rim, a well supported in said cap, apertures between the well and the cap permitting the free ow of ink into said well when the bottle is inverted, and an auxiliary cap over said well.

12. A cap for ink bottles having a depending annular rim, la well supported in said cap, apertures between the well and the cap permitting the free flow of ink into said well when the bottle is inverted, a gravity valve in the bottom of said well, and an auxiliary cap over said well.

FRED BERTINO. 

